ATD TechKnowledge 2016 and the Future of Learning

TheLitmos team showed off Litmos and the future of learning to 1400 training professionals at ATD TechKnowledge in Las Vegas. I was able to catch a couple keynote sessions, work the Litmos expo booth, and present a session on a new collaboration tool called blab.im. I also started testing out Snapchat during ATDTK2016. And, as usual, engaged in some very interesting hallway conversations about the L&D industry. Overall it was a great event with a lot of learning. We were all happy to be there.

The Keynotes

David Rose is the CEO of Ditto Labs. You can follow him on twitter @davidrose. He also authored Enchanted Objects presenting his work and experience with the Internet of Things. There are plenty of blog posts that have covered the keynote in a play by play style. There is no need for me to give you the same reporting. He had a few interesting products to present that represent his overall concept of technology enhanced objects that are made to do just one simple thing. Like the umbrella that lights up when rain is near. Much of what he presented was not new. If you’re interested in seeing the internet of things that will be coming this year, then check out Intel’s presentation from CES2016.

Or follow the twitter hashtag #CES2016 for an overload of IoT coverage that will truly inspire you.

Kate Matsudaira keynoted the second day and covered how to be a successful employee. You can learn more about what she is doing on her now page. And her presentation is embedded below if you’d like to click through it.

Much of her model for success felt very basic to me on the surface. But after thinking about it quite a bit I realized that her model, while directed at all employees, was really the recipe for a successful training department. The keynote could very easily have been titled “A Better Training Department Strategy”. Let me know what your thoughts were on it.

The Expo

I always enjoy being part of the Litmos booth at industry events. Its an easy place to meet old friends and make new ones. Our team had a lot of conversations with training professionals eager to finally enjoy an easy to use, powerful and flexible, learning management system (LMS). We presented on the expo stage to a standing room only crowd, and gave away an iWatch to one lucky attendee as well. Many industry professionals and companies are beginning to discover the power of Litmos and that it’s okay to enjoy your LMS…and actually enjoy using it.

Social Collaboration Tools

I presented on blab, but also used the event as a testing ground for my snapchat stories.

I was invited to teach attendees about a relatively new free video streaming app blab.im. The session had 3 demos running at once. JD Dillon covered Slack and Rick Lozano covered Periscope while I blabbed with my group. You can view 2 of the group sessions that we recorded by going to my blab profile.

ATDTK2016 was also my first opportunity to try out Snapchat as an social sharing app. I know many don't see the use of Snapchat. But that's why I believe it's becoming so popular. The negative feelings around Snapchat feel very similar to my earliest days on Twitter. Some of the most outspoken twitter users in our own community first thought twitter was a bad idea. I'm not saying Snapchat will follow the exact trajectory as Twitter, but it sure does feel like it might.

The following video is what you get if you decide to download your own story. And yes, it's very informal but it's also authentic and very real. Do you Snapchat?

About Brent Schlenker

Brent Schlenker has over 20 years of experience in the Learning and Development industry. He’s built and re-built training organizations, and developed innovative technology based learning solutions across all departments within small, medium, and large corporate structures.
Over the last 10 years Brent built his career as an industry leader through blogging, speaking at industry events, and promoting eLearning through social media channels. After five years with The eLearning Guild, he is DevLearn Program Director Emeritus and was responsible for programming the event from 2008 to 2012.
He joined the Litmos team in April 2014 as the Chief Learning Strategist and brings his wealth of experience, industry knowledge, and networks to the strong learning products under the Litmos brand.
Prior to discovering his passion for technology-based learning, he worked in video production as a producer for a local Arizona NBC affiliate. He brings that experience, innovation, and creativity to the booming industry of eLearning. He also holds a BA in Media Arts and an M.Ed. in Educational Media and Computers.